Water-heating element



Dec. 9, 1924.

H. W. JORDAN WATER HEATING ELEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2, 192

Dec. 9, 1

H. w. JORDAN WATER HEATING ELEMENT Filed June 2, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

HARRY W. JOB-DAN, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

WATER-HEATING ELEMENT.

Application filed June 2,

connection with hot-air and other heaters,

by means of which water for storage purposes and hot-water radiation, as well as, for humidifying air of dwellings and the like, may be economically and effectively heated.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a water heating element, of novel and simple design, adapted to be applied to the fire-pot or other heated portion of a furnace and the like, to take the place of the simple coil (so-called) heretofore inserted into the hot-air and other heaters, wherein the water from the service mains is carried directly into the combustion chambers by a single pipe, which is usually bent upon itself and provides a continuous conduit of substantially the same caliber throughout, by which the inflow of the cold water and the outflow of the hot-water is effected.

The present water heating element consists of a single hollow body or manifold, which constitutes the heating element proper, into which is inserted a relatively small water-supply pipe, that carries the cold water to the remote end of the element where the water is discharged into the relatively spacious interior of the element, to be heated and circulated therein and around the feed pipe by gravity, and from which the hot water and steam are'discharged from the same end at which the water supply pipe enters, and at a level and under such conditions as to facilitate the exit flow and to obviate noise and hammering. A further object is to provide an elongated leg, by which the normal depth of the element is increased downwardly, the said leg being arranged to contain a relatively thin body of water, and may be projected still farther into the hot zone of the fire, for quickening and for greatly increasing the efficiency of the heating element. A further object is to still further increase the heat induction area of the element by providing at the top and bottom thereof relatively thin solid elongated fins,

1924. Serial No. 717,290.

by which the heating action of the element is intensified. These fins may be employed in connection with the hollow leg, or the fins may be used alone, singly or in multiple, when the degree of etficiency calls for such construction and use.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a novel, simple and effective system for heating water for storage and for humidifying air, which embraces my improved heating element; the said element being disposed entirely within the smoke pipe adjacent a furnace or other heater, within the hottest Zone of the waste products of combustion, which usually escape via the chimney. This utilization of the heat of the waste products of a furnace, which ranges from 200 to 400 F., during the heating seasons enables me to operate my system effectively and continuously for long intervals, without any cost, except the initial expense of installing the heating element and related parts.

The various features and parts of the invention will be understood from the detailed description which follows, and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a broken plan view of a hotair furnace, and a section of the smoke pipe, to which my improved water heater is ap plied. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rearside elevation of the smoke pipe. Fig. 4: is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section through one form of the heating element. Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a slightly modified heating element. Figs. 6 and 7 are similar broken elevational views of the furnace, showing different ways of disposing the heating elements relatively to the firepot; also showing slight variations in the application and arrangement of the flow and return piping. Fig. 8 is aview; showing the heating element without the leg or fins. Fig. 9 is a view; showing the heating element with top and bottom fins. Fig. 10 is a vertical cross-section, taken on line 1010 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a rear-end view of the element shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 12 is an ele vational view; showing the smoke pipe containing the heating element disposed at an incline for consistently heating the element. Fig. 13 is a view of the sectional water supply pipe, which is shown inserted into the several heating elements. And Fig. M is a view; showing the butterfly damper disposed in the smoke pipe beyond the heating element.

In the drawings, [2 represents conventionally a heater, of thehot-air or like type, in common use. 3 is the smoke outlet pipe, in which is shown the usual disc or butterfly damper 3'. In order to show a convenient and practical applicationof my water heating element, I provide a somewhat special design of smoke conduit, as which is preferably oval in cross-section, as best seen in Fig. 2, into which the short pipe 3 discharges the gaseous waste products of the furnace, preferably near the bottom of said conduit. The conduit 4- is preferably three or four feet in length, and is normally open at its opposite ends, the said. ends being closed during the operation of the furance,

by similar caps 4t and P, which may be readily removed for installing the heating element 5,, as well. as for cleaning and inspectingthe conduit and element. Near its remote end the usual vertical smoke pipe 6 taps the top side of the conduit, and to the pipe 6 is applied the usual check damper 6,

by which the draft of the furnace is controlled, in a well-known manner, and for this purpose the pipe 6 is tapped by a short horizontal" pipe 6.

The water heating-element is preferably disposed in or slightly above the longitudinal axis of the conduit 4, the. head end of theelement preferably being positioned directly opposite the smoke outlet 3, while its remote end is preferably disposed directly beneath the opening leading to the pipe 6, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. By this arrangement, the hot products from the furnace are compelled to travel the full length of the element 5 before passing into the pipe 6. The heating element is pref er ably supported near its remote end by a st rrup 7, which is suspended from the top wall of the conduit, by means of a bolt 7 that passes upwardly through a boss 4, and. may be adjusted and held in place by a nut 7 The head end of the heating element is supported in part by a nipple or p1pe 8, which is inserted downwardly through an opening in a boss 4 formed at the top of the conduit, the said pipe being screwed into: a relatively large opening 5, through which the products of the element are dlscharged. A. collar 8 carried by the pipe 8, anda set-screw 8" afford convenient and suitable means for adjusting and holdmg the parts in the proper position, as

shown. The pipe 8 performs the usual functions of a flow-pipe, by which the products of the element 5 may be carried to a storage tank, or to a hot-water radiating system (not shown).

My heating element in its preferred form shown in Fig. 4, consists of a. cast-iron body ormanlfold 5, which is prefera 91 .9)

throughout, and the body proper preferably tapers upwardly from the remote end towards the head, the smaller end having an opening SZprincipaIly for convenience in casting, but also serves for inspecting and cleaning the element, the said opening being sealed by a plug 5". The outlet 5 for the hot-water and steam, is preferably disposed at the top of the head end, where the body is hollowed upwardly,as at 5, for providing space for the accommodation of steam; the said enlargement together with the size and disposition of the outlet 5 tending to prevent noise and hammering, when the element is heated above normal. be heated by the element is supplied by a relatively small caliber pipe 9, which may re ceive the water from an ordinary service main, or other source. The pipe 9 is preferably supported by a bushing 9, which is threadedinto an-opening 5 in the head end, and said pipe thence extends inwardly to within an inch or'two of the remote end of the manifold 5, at which'point the said pipe discharges the water freely into the relatively spacious interior of the manifold. After the water leaves thepipe-9 it is'heated and gravitates back through the manifold towards the outlet 5. This gravitation of the hotswater and steam is facilitated by the gradual upward slope of the top wall of the element, and in case considerable steam pressure is generated inthe element, the enlargement 5 affords ready relief and besides eliminates noise and knocking, common to many of the older water. heatingsystems. The efficiency of my heating element may be materially increased by form- The water to 3 ing the bottom of the element 5 with a hollow tapering depending portion, as 5 which extends from a point near the discharge end of the pipe 9 forwardly towards the head endof the body, and is arranged to contain a relatively thin body of water, which is readily and quickly heated to a high degree. The leg 5 may also be formed with a thin solid downward extending fin or rib 5 5 represents a similar but preferably longer solid fin, which may be disposed centrally along the top side of the body 5, for absorbing more or less of the heat that accumulates in the top portion of the conduit l. By providing the leg 5. and the fins 5 5 greatly increases the heat induction, and correspondingly raises the efficiency of the heating element, as compared with the plainer construction and arrangement of the element, as shown in Fig. 8. The water supply pipe 9 may be in two sections, as 9 and. 9 (see Fig. 13). When the two sections are provided, the pipe 9 together with the bushingt), may be applied to the element 5 before it is inserted in the conduitd, and the section 9*" may afterwards be inserted through an opening in the cap 4: and screwed into the The variations merely affecting the degree bushing. The dotted lines in Fig. 3 show how the cap 4: may be detached and moved along the pipe 9, for facilitating cleaning out and inspecting the conduit and the element. The heating element 5 is preferably so disposed in the conduit that any suitable swab or cleaning tool may be operated lengthwise in the conduit when the caps 4 and 45* are removed, without disturbing the water heating parts.

In Fig. 6 the heating element is shown in the doorway of the ordinary hot-air furnace; the tapering body portion preferably extendinghorizontally across the fire-pot 2', while the enlarged head-end of the element projects outwardly beyond the jacket of the furnace, where the fiow and return fittings are applied directly to the head. In this view, the heating element is equipped with the hollow leg 5 but the top and bottom fins are omitted.

In Fig. 7, the heating element is wholly positioned inside the combustion chamber of the furnace, the head-end resting on the doorway ledge 2, in a manner to incline the body 5 downwardly into the fire. The head-end of this element is provided with a single relatively large threaded opening into which is screwed a nipple 10; the latter projecting through the jacket and connecting with the usual flow-pipe 10. In this view, the. water supply pipe 9 is shown inserted through the nipple and thence into the element, the latter being provided with the hollow leg 5 and also with the bottom fin 5 as described.

In Fig. 5, the leg 5 and the fins 5 -5 are preferably extended substantially the full length of the tapering portion of the element, and a single outlet and inlet opening similar to that shown in Fig. 7 is provided in the head-end. Fig. 8 illustrates a plain heating element adapted for relatively low efliciency. And Fig. 9 shows a similar element, which is provided with top and bottom fins, but without the leg 5 Fig. 12 illustrates a slightly modified arrangement of the conduit 4, which consists of inclining the conduit, for forcing the hot waste products of the furnace downwardly as they progress towards the outlet 6, for more effectually and consistently heating the remote end of the element.

In Fig. 14, I have shown the preferred. location and arrangement of the damper 3. By placing this damper in the pipe 6, instead of in the pipe 3, the conduit 4 may be maintained at a considerably higher temperature, which correspondingly adds more heat to and increases the efficiency of the water heating element.

The several modifications of the heating element herein shown and described, are all operated on practically the same principle.

of the heating; the minimum. degree being attained by the element shown in Fig. 8; while the maximum degree may be attained by the use of the element shown in Figs. 4

and 5.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is

1. A water heating element comprising an elongated hollow body adapted to be disposed in a heated zone of a furnace, said body having a depending hollow tapering leg adapted to contain a thin body of water, the top wall of said body opposite said leg inclining upwardly towards the head end, said head end having a relatively large opening for the exit of the hot water, and. a water supply pipe of relatively small ca pacity disposed longitudinally in the body adapted to conduct water to be heated sub stantially the full length of the hollow interior of the body and to discharge the water beyond the remote end of the said leg.

2. water heating element for supplying hot-waiter to storage tanks and the like, comprising an elongated hollow body having a discharge opening at one end, the top of said body tapering downwardly from said opening towards its remote end, radial fins projecting above and below the body for increasing the heat induction when the body is exposed to a fire, and a pipe entering the body near said opening and extending inwardly longitudinally adapted to deliver water to be heated near the remote end of the body.

3. A water heater comprising an elongated hollow body whose top tapers sub-stantially from end to end, the larger end thereof having an opening for the discharge of the water, the smaller end being closed, the bottom of said body being formed with a depending tapering hollow leg, a. thin. fin depending from said leg, a similar fin rising from the top of the body, and a water supply pipe of smaller capacity than said discharge opening entering the larger end of the body adapted to discharge water to be heated close to the smaller end of the body.

4:. The combination with the smoke pipe of a furnace, of a water heating element disposed longitudinally in said pipe in the path of the hot products of combustion received by said pipe from the furnace, said element comprising an elongated hollow tapering body adapted to be charged with water to be heated, a pipe of relatively small caliber entering the end of the. element nearest the furnace, and being arranged to discharge the water near the remote end of the element, the water while being heated adapted to entirely surround said water pipe and to circulate back towards the end of the element at which said water pipe enters, and a relatively large caliber flow pipe tapping the end of the element nearest the furnace for conducting the hot-water and steam from said body.

5. A water heating element adapted to be heated by the Waste products of a furnace,

comprising an elongated hollow tapering body adapted to be suspended in the furnace smoke pipe, said body having a relatively large opening in its head end for the exit of the water, and havingvits remote end closed, a feed-water pipe of relatively small caliber inserted through the head-end and extending towards the remote end adapted to discharge cold water in the zone of the smallest diameter of the element, the water while being heated completely submerging said pipe raising the temperature of the water before it is discharged by the pipe, and means for heating portions of the water below the normal bottom level of said body.

6. The combination with a furnace and a smoke pipe for carrying oif the waste products of combustion having a butterfly damper for cont-rolling the draft of the furnace, of a Water heating element disposed in said smoke pipe between the furnace and said damper, means for adjnstably supporting the element in said pipe, said element comprising an elongated hollow tapering body, the larger end of said body being disposed nearest the furnace andv having a relatively large opening for the exit ofthe hot water, and a water supply pipe piercing the larger end of the body and extending longitudinally therein adapted to discharge cold water closeto the smaller end of the body.

;7. hieansi for heating water for storage purposes, comprising a hollow body adapted to be heated by the waste products of combustion of a furnace, said body tapering in the direction of the flow of said products, a pipe for supplying cool water to said body, said pipe being inserted through the larger end of said body and extending inwardly towards and adapted to discharge the water near the smaller end of said body, said- HARRY WV. JORDAN 

